Page 67 - War Conflict

Gunmen kill 19 at fish market in northeast Congo

At least 19 people were killed when gunmen attacked a fish market in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo near Lake Albert, local officials said on Sunday. No group has claimed responsibility, but the region around Ituri province has been hit in the past by intercommunal violence between militias from the Hema and Lendu communities. "Nineteen corpses were found in the village of Tara on the edge of Lake Albert, and eight others were wounded," said Pilo Mulindo, a local community leader in Djugu territory. "The attack happened on Wednesday when armed bandits attacked a group gathered on the beach to set up a market," the official said. The UN mission to the DRCongo, known by its initials MONUSCO, reported the attack on Friday without giving a precise death toll. It planned to send a team to the area. The victims were fishermen and their customers, Mulindo said. The area is known as a region where Lendu militia are active. Violence shook Ituri province, particularly Djugu, last year ..

3 insurgents apprehended in Arunachal Pradesh

Security forces in Arunachal Pradesh have apprehended three cadres of a militant outfit for allegedly carrying out extortion activities in Changlang district, a senior defence official said Sunday. The Changlang battalion of Assam Rifles launched an operation on Saturday night and apprehended the three cadres of the NSCN (R) from Old Shallang village in the district. The cadres were identified as Wangjang Pangtha, Limglang Tutsha and Chamol Jungli, Kohima-based defence spokesman Col Chiranjit Konwer said. An AK -56 assault rifle, one M-20 pistol with live ammunition, mobile phones with multiple sim cards were recovered from their possession, the spokesman said. The rebels were later handed over to the district police. Extortion activities by insurgents in south Arunachal Pradesh have been a matter of concern. Since the beginning of 2019, reports of extortion activities by various factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) had been received and a ...

Foreign embassies websites under cyber attack in Sri Lanka

Websites of at least 11 foreign embassies, including the Kuwait Embassy, here has come under a cyber attack, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) said on Sunday.An official of the SLCERT told English daily, The Daily Mirror, that hackers were targeting some websites (with .com and .lk domain codes) to publish their messages and, that steps have been taken to control the situation.Investigations are being conducted at this time, SLCERT was quoted as saying.The cyber attacks came on the day Sri Lanka commemorated the completion of a decade of peace since the military defeat of the Tamil Tiger terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 18 May 2009.The official National War Heroes' Day commemoration organised by the Ranaviru Seva Authority (RVSA) will be held at the Battaramulla National War Heroes' Monument this evening under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena, Colombo Page reported.Military Spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu was quoted ..

Bomb hits tourist bus near Egypt's Giza Pyramids, wounds 16

Egyptian officials say a roadside bomb has hit a tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids. They say Sunday's blast wounded at least 16 people, including tourists. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to brief media. Egypt has battled Islamic militants for years in the Sinai Peninsula in an insurgency that has occasionally spilled over to the mainland, hitting minority Christians or tourists. The attack comes as Egypt's vital tourism industry is showing signs of recovery after years in the doldrums because of the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Hosni Mubarak. It is the second to target foreign tourists near the famed pyramids in less than six months.

BJP leader's killing: TIP of arrested militant; bureaucrats ignored warnings

A Test Identification Parade (TIP) of arrested JeM militant Hilal Naikoo will be conducted in connection with BJP leader Gul Mohammed Mir's killing in Anantnag as an internal probe indicated lapses at bureaucratic level despite a clear threat to him, officials said. The family of 57-year-old Mir, who unsuccessfully contested on BJP ticket in 2008 and 2014 assembly elections from Dooru in South Kashmir, has claimed that Naikoo was present in the squad that killed the politician outside his home on May 4. Mir, whose affidavit shows his age as 52 in the 2014 assembly polls, was shot dead outside his residence at Nowgam in Verinag area of South Kashmir. He was shifted to hospital in a critical condition, but was declared brought dead by the doctors there. Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Hilal Naikoo from Dooru. Police officials said that they would be carrying out his TIP soon. The killing had rattled Governor Satya Pal Malik's administration in Jammu and Kashmir and ...

2 teens die as car overturns in Rajasthan

Two teenagers were killed and three others injured when a car in which they were travelling overturned in Sirohi district of Rajasthan on Sunday, police said. The incident took place on Abu road under Pindwara police station. The deceased have been identified as Ami Soni (14) and her cousin, Dev Goswami (14), the police said. The bodies have been handed over to the family after post-mortem, the police added.

Pak Army to raise another division to protect CPEC projects & Chinese nationals

The Pakistan Army will raise another division-size special force to protect Chinese nationals and projects under the CPEC, military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor has said, days after the brazen terror attack on a luxury hotel in Balochistan. Describing the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a living example of deep-rooted friendship between Pakistan and China, Major General Ghafoor, Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the Pakistan Army was fully determined to ensure the security of the project. Talking to the Chinese media in Rawalpindi on Saturday, he said the Pakistan military had raised a whole division-size force to protect the project and they were planning to deploy another division for this purpose. Earlier reports said a Special Security Division (SSD) comprising 9,000 Pakistan Army soldiers and 6,000 para-military forces personnel has been set up for the security of the CPEC project and Chinese nationals working ..

Delhi BJP asks police chief to review security cover of Kejriwal

The Delhi unit of the BJP Sunday requested the commissioner of police to review the security cover of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a day after the AAP chief alleged that he could be assassinated by police personnel deployed for his security. In a letter to Commissioner of Delhi Police Amulya Patnaik, BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Kejriwal's statement was "damaging" for the morale of his security staff as well as the entire police force in the national capital. He also sent copies of the letter to Home minister Rajnath Singh and Delhi's Lt Governor Anil Baijal. Kejriwal on Saturday had alleged that the BJP was after his life and said he could be assassinated like former prime minister Indira Gandhi by police personnel deployed for his security. Recently, the Delhi chief minister had also told a news channel in Punjab that the BJP was after his life and they would "murder" him one day. Kapoor in the letter said, "I believe this statement coming from a chief minister is

Curfew continues for fourth day in J&K's Bhaderwah

Curfew continued for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah town.

Two centres set up for counting of votes in Jammu LS seat

Two centres have been set up here for counting of votes in the Jammu Lok Sabha seat on May 23, a senior official said on Sunday, asserting that all necessary arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth and peaceful exercise. The constituency, spread over four districts and covering a total of 20 assembly segments with over 20 lakh electorate, recorded 72.16 per cent polling in this general election, sealing the fate of 24 candidates. Returning officer Ramesh Kumar, along with senior police and civil officers, visited the counting centres set up at Government Polytechnic and MAM College on Saturday and reviewed the arrangements. The counting centre established at the Government Polytechnic College would cover 11 assembly segments -- Samba, Vijaypur, Nagrota, Jammu East, R S Pura, Suchetgarh, Marh, Raipur Domana, Surankote, Mendhar and Poonch Haveli. The counting centres of MAM college Jammu would cover nine assembly constituencies -- Gandhinagar, Jammu West, Bishnah, Akhnoor, .

UN peacekeeper killed in Mali

A Nigerian peacekeeper was killed Saturday in an attack on the United Nations' stabilization mission in Mali, the UN said. The victim "succumbed to his wounds following the armed attack by unidentified assailants" in Timbuktu, a statement said. A Nigerian peacekeeper was also injured. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply saddened" by the assault, which he said could amount to a war crime. In a separate incident Saturday, three Chadian peacekeepers were wounded when their mine-protected vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Tessalit, in Mali's Kidal region. The UN's MINUSMA mission was established in Mali after radical Islamist militias seized the north of the country in 2012. They were pushed back by French troops in 2013. A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups was aimed at restoring stability. But the accord has failed to stop the violence. Since their deployment in 2013, more than 190 peacekeepers have died in Mali, including .

BSF officer injured in LoC firing in Poonch

A Border Security Force (BSF) officer has been injured during heavy firing exchanges between Indian and Pakistani troops in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, informed sources said.

Congress' Manish Tewari casts vote in Ludhiana

Former Union Minister and Congress candidate Manish Tewari on Sunday cast his vote in his hometown here in Punjab.

'Unjustifiable & Inexplicable': India slams UN for delaying $38 mn in dues

India's share of the UN's budget has been increasing in recent years

Two dead in Libya attack claimed by IS: military source

Two guards loyal to Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army were killed in an attack Saturday claimed by the Islamic State group, an LNA source said. Four guards were also kidnapped in the attack on a checkpoint in the central region of Zella, the same source said. IS said in a brief statement that it had targeted "Haftar's militias". The media arm of Haftar's LNA said in a statement a "terrorist attack" had been repelled, but did not give any details. The raid in Zella, close to an oilfield some 800 kilometres (500 miles) southeast of the capital Tripoli, is the third IS attack targeting Haftar's forces in recent weeks. At least nine people were killed in a May 4 attack in the southern city of Sebha, then five days later gunmen killed two civilians in Ghodwa in southern Libya. The LNA launched an operation in January to purge southern Libya "of terrorist groups and criminals". After securing support from local tribes, it seized several towns. Haftar then launched an ...

Thousands gather to remember victims of civil war in Sri Lanka

Thousands of Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka observed the 10th anniversary of the brutal civil war between the government and LTTE by lighting oil lamps and remembering those who lost their lives in the over three-decade-long conflict. Tamils gathered at Vellamullivaikkal, the scene of the final battle on May 18, 2009 when the government forces killed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, bringing to an end the bloody armed conflict fought mainly in the north and east of the island nation. At least 100,000 people were killed in the conflict. Thousands of people, including security personnel, are still reported to be missing after the war. According to the Army, 27,000 soldiers were lost in the war. The anniversary falls nearly a month after Easter Sunday bombings, the worst terror attack in the country that killed 258 people and injured over 500 others. The event saw attendance from people of all age groups. A child who lost her mother during the war lit .

SL President frees 762 prisoners on Buddha Purnima

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday granted amnesty to 762 prisoners to mark Buddha Purnima, also known as Vesak festival.

ExxonMobil employees evacuating oil field in southern Iraq

Employees of Energy giant ExxonMobil have begun evacuating from an oil field in the southern Iraqi province of Basra but work at the field is still ongoing, Iraqi officials said Saturday. The evacuation comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran. The US has already ordered all nonessential diplomatic staff out of Iraq. As tensions escalate, there are concerns that Baghdad could once again get caught in the middle. The country hosts more than 5,000 US troops, and is home to powerful Iranian-backed militias, some of whom want those US forces to leave. An Iraqi oil official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said all those who are being evacuated are foreigners or Iraqis who hold additional national citizenships. The official did not give numbers but said the first group left two days ago and another batch left early Saturday. "We continue to closely monitor. As a matter of practice, we don't share specifics ...

Govt rejects Vice Admiral Verma's plea against Karambir becoming Navy Chief

Verma had moved a military tribunal questioning Vice Admiral Singh's appointment as the next Navy Chief

We are professional force, committed to our job: Delhi Police on Kejriwal's assassination claim

A day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal raised questions over his security, Delhi police on Saturday said that their security personnel guarding the AAP chief are dedicated professionals who are "committed to their job"."The security unit of Delhi Police is a professional set up of well-trained personnel who are thoroughly committed to their job and performed duties with a high level of dedication and professionalism," Delhi Police said in a statement given to ANI.It said, "The unit has been providing security cover commendably for several high dignitaries of all political parties. The security personnel posted in the security team of honourable CM, Delhi are equally well committed to their duties."Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that his life was under threat and that the BJP is conspiring to kill him. He feared that he will be murdered like former PM Indira Gandhi."I will be murdered like Indira Gandhi by my PSO [Personal Security Officer] one day," Kejriwal told a new channel in ..